Monsignor Antonio Vivaldi was not only one of the greatest of Baroque composers, but also a Catholic priest, who directed a girls’ orphanage, for whose residents he wrote much of his music – for which we are quite grateful. His Magnificat – fitting on this feast of the Presentation of Our Lady (and see previous posts for other versions by Palestrina and Bach) – developed over a number of years, the first just for girls’ voices in 1717, and the final, full version, with parts written in for men’s voices, was first performed sometime in the 1720’s.
In whatever form, it is a glorious song of praise to the Virgin Mother, on this day when she said fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum, to the God she loved, and whom He loved, more than all of His creation.